Currently Playing:

World of Warcraft Classic is coming in August https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-classic-is-coming-in-august/World of Warcraft Classic will be sending players back in time this summer, returning to the days before flying mounts, dungeon queues and the earth-shattering Cataclysm. You'll be able to start levelling up a new character in old WoW on August 27.

Netflix will be at E3 to host a panel and spill some gaming news https://www.pcgamer.com/netflix-will-be-at-e3-to-host-a-panel-and-spill-some-gaming-news/Netflix, which has been making some forays into gaming, will be at this year's E3 to host a panel and drop some game announcements. And it's already off to a fine start, nailing the traditional E3 awkwardness by making the announcement via a chat with the E3 Twitter account. Brands, will they ever shut up? No.

Research says 'casual' and 'hardcore' no longer accurately describe today's gamers https://www.pcgamer.com/research-says-casual-and-hardcore-no-longer-accurately-describe-todays-gamers/When I applied to join my first online guild in the mid-2000s, my fellow guildmates wanted to know two things: what kind of games I played, and whether I was a casual or a hardcore gamer. Ask me the same question now, and I would have a hard time answering. Things like Twitch, esports, and hardware and peripheral ownership have all changed the games market drastically. Segmenting gamers the same way we did 15 years ago no longer paints an accurate picture according to new research by Newzoo, a global provider of games and esports analytics. >> I'd say that it has never been a good description.

Take-Two isn't worried about loot box laws because it doesn't make much money on them anyway https://www.pcgamer.com/take-two-isnt-worried-about-loot-box-laws-because-it-doesnt-make-much-money-on-them-anyway/Take-Two Interactive president Karl Slatoff said in late 2017 that the company doesn't consider loot boxes to be a form of gambling, a position that put it in line with pretty much all of the rest of the game industry. Despite that, chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick said during the company's Q4 2019 earnings call yesterday that it is not overly concerned about the possibility of legislation banning loot boxes in videogames because they don't contribute meaningfully to Take-Two's bottom line.

Figment, the beautiful, brain-bound puzzle game, is getting 'encore' DLC https://www.pcgamer.com/figment-the-beautiful-brain-bound-puzzle-game-is-getting-encore-dlc/Figment is a bizarre, beautiful action-adventure game that Austin described as looking like something made by Dr. Seuss—although he also took issue with the "action-adventure" descriptor, saying in his 2017 preview that it's really more of an environmental puzzle game. Whatever you want to call it, it's bizarre, beautiful, well regarded (although not widely noticed), and it's getting "encore" DLC later this year.

Trine 4 dev diary showcases a return to sidescrolling fairy tales https://www.pcgamer.com/trine-4-dev-diary-showcases-a-return-to-sidescrolling-fairy-tales/I really like the Trine games, and I had high hopes for Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power when developer Frozenbyte announced that it would go fully 3D. It didn't work out quite as expect, though, to the point that for awhile the future of the studio seemed to be in doubt. Frozenbyte managed to pull through and earlier this year announced Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince as a return to the series' original side-scrolling style. Today publisher Modus Games revealed some of the process that led up to that with a "making of" video that looks at the history of the series and shows off some early Trine 4 gameplay.

Blood Bowl 3 is coming next year https://www.pcgamer.com/blood-bowl-3-is-coming-next-year/(...) Blood Bowl 3 is in development at Cyanide Studios, the maker of the first two games in the series, and will be published by Bigben Interactive. Its release will coincide with the launch of an updated board game edition that will feature all-new rules, which will hopefully address at least some of James' complaints in his 2015 Blood Bowl 2 review, particularly its reliance on dice rolls for even the simplest actions, and the fundamental opaqueness about how it all works.

Robo-RPG SteamWorld Quest is coming to PC soon https://www.pcgamer.com/robo-rpg-steamworld-quest-is-coming-to-pc-soon/SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, Image & Form's card-based RPG, is finally coming to PC after launching on Switch in April. Instead of digging mines or flying around in spaceships, this time you'll be leading a party of robots through a fantasy realm, duking it out with knights and monsters in turn-based card battles. It's the fourth time the developer has experimented with a new setting and genre, and judging by the Switch version's reception, it sounds like a welcome addition to the series.

The waiting is the easy part in gripping, free 'anti-thriller' The Interlude https://www.pcgamer.com/the-waiting-is-the-easy-part-in-gripping-free-anti-thriller-the-interlude/The Interlude is that scene in the heist or spy movie where someone impatiently waits for an associate to arrive. You're a getaway driver, or maybe just a contact, and in ten minutes' time you're going to signal the person you're meeting there, and then the game will suddenly come to a close. There's no big chase scene, and no double-crossing shootout, although given what we know about thrillers, you can feel that something like that is about to happen.

Fortnite is getting a John Wick skin and challenges https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-is-getting-a-john-wick-skin-and-challenges/It looks like gloomy assassin John Wick is returning to Fortnite. Various dataminers and leakers have shared details they've dug up about Keanu Reeves' perpetually damp character, including a Wick-inspired bounty mode and a broody skin. Maybe a trip to Fortnite's cheery, colourful island is just the rest the veteran gunman needs. >> The third movie is launching this month, so they'll unveil it soon.

Dota Underlords trademark filed by Valve https://www.pcgamer.com/dota-underlords-trademark-filed-by-valve/Valve has applied for a trademark for Dota Underlords; it's definitely a game, but there's not much more information available beyond that. The application was filed earlier this month and categorises Dota Underlords under computer game software, electronic game software and video game software.

Don't Starve: Hamlet has left Steam Early Access https://www.pcgamer.com/dont-starve-hamlet-has-left-steam-early-access/Don't Starve: Hamlet has made it through the trials of Early Access and has launched on Steam. The third DLC for Klei's endearing survival game swaps the wilderness for a lost town full of aristocratic pigmen, complete with homes and shops and all the trappings of civilisation. Unfortunately, that inevitably comes with new dangers, not least of which is a huge robot with a penchant for murdering people with lasers.

Please excuse my bad English.

Currently gaming on a PC with an i5-4670k@stock (for now), 16Gb RAM 1600 MHz and a GTX 1070

Steam / Live / NNID : jonxiquet Add me if you want, but I'm a single player gamer.

JEMC said:I'm not sure DDR5 is that close, to be honest, at least in the PC ecosystem (maybe for smartphones it is). Zen 2 and its mobos are DDR4, and none of the rumors regarding Intel's next refresh mention the jump to the new memory either.

DDR5 estimated release date is this year... With mass production sometime next year... So I expect AMD's Zen 3 to have DDR5 support, Zen 2 was still being designed whilst the standard was being ratified, so it was expected it would release without support.

Currently Playing:

First Epic Games Store Mega Sale launched, offering $10 discount for every game above $14.99 https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-epic-games-store-mega-sale-launched-offering-10-discount-for-every-game-above-14-99/Epic Games has launched the first mega sale for its Epic Games Store, offering games with up to 75% discounts. This mega sale will last until June 13th and players will be able to get significant discounts for a lot of games. In fact, Epic Games is offering a $10 discount for every game that is priced above $14.99. What this ultimately means is that PC players can get games like Borderlands 3 for just $39.99 (the game is on sale for $49.99 but when we apply the additional $10 discount, its price drops to $39.99). Furthermore, every player who pre-purchased an unreleased game in the Epic Games store prior to May 16th, 2019 for $14.99 and above will receive a $10 refund. Not only that, but for all game purchases between May 2nd, 2019 and May 15th, 2019 we will refund you the difference in price between what you paid and what you would have paid during the Epic Mega Sale (inclusive of the $10 off from Epic). Epic Games notes that you will receive your refund automatically to the payment method you used in the next 7-12 days. >> Check it out on the Epic Store.

The Division 2 sold 10 times as many copies on Uplay as the first game https://www.pcgamer.com/the-division-2-sold-10-times-as-many-copies-on-uplay-as-the-first-game/Ubisoft reported record profitability in its full-year 2018-19 earnings report, with net bookings of more than €2.03 billion ($2.27 billion), in line with its target for the year of around €2.05 billion ($2.3 billion). The company showed particular strength on the PC, with net bookings up nearly 79 percent, accounting for 27 percent of the company's total for the year. (...)Somewhat surprisingly, The Division 2 fell short of Ubisoft's expectations on console, which Ubisoft attributed in its earnings call to "a more competitive environment than expected." On PC, however, its performance "was in line with the first Division's massive launch," and drove "a huge 10x increase in sales [over The Division 1] on Uplay."

Ubisoft’s Steep is available for free on UPLAY until May 22nd https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ubisofts-steep-is-available-for-free-on-uplay-until-may-22nd/Ubisoft has announced that its extreme sports title, Steep, is available for free on UPLAY until May 22nd. Contrary to previous offerings, however, this time you can claim a free copy of the game and you will be able to keep it yours forever. Steep drops players onto the peaks of mountains with exhilarating experiences including skiing, wingsuiting, snowboarding and paragliding. >> Claim it from here.

At Fanatical, the Star Deal has ended, but it hasn't been refreshed yet, so I don't know what game will be next. Beyond that, check out the new Flash Deals.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS/EMULATORS

New 16GB Texture Pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion improves all textures by 4X times https://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-16gb-texture-pack-for-the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-improves-all-textures-by-4x-times/Last month, we informed you about a Texture Pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that overhauled all of its textures to 4K and 8K resolution. And today, we are presenting you another Texture Pack using AI techniques (ESRGAN to be more precise) that improves all textures by 4X times and weights around 16GB in size. This Texture Pack was created by modder ‘kartoffels’ and includes normal maps for all textures (though it does not include any parallax maps). According to the modder, all of the architecture, armor, characters, clothes, clutter, creatures, dungeons, landscape, oblivion realm, plants, rocks, sky, trees, water, weapons and wood textures have been overhauled. Now while the zipped files are around 16GB in size, the uncompressed folder is 21GB (so make sure to have enough space if you are interested in these new more detailed textures). >> Available from Nexus Mods.

Currently Playing:

World of Warcraft is bringing back Thrall https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-is-bringing-back-thrall/World of Warcraft's Horde has a bit of a management problem. Sylvanas, the Banshee Queen and current Warchief, has been a bit out of sorts, committing atrocities and generally worrying everyone. Now, both players and characters are clamouring for new leadership. And they might just get what they want, because Thrall's coming back. Check out the new cinematic above.

CrossCode's 1.1 update gives you critter companions https://www.pcgamer.com/crosscodes-11-update-gives-you-critter-companions/Retro sci-fi RPG CrossCode has been bolstered by a big update today, chucking in new quests, S-rank battles, an arena and, more important than any of that, loyal pets who will follow you around on your adventures. CrossCode's already a huge game—and pretty great—but there's always room for pooches.

Satisfactory's first update delivers conveyor lifts, new research options, and a gun https://www.pcgamer.com/satisfactorys-first-update-delivers-conveyor-lifts-new-research-options-and-a-gun/Coffee Stain Studios has released the first major update for its co-op sci-fi factory building sim Satisfactory, with enhancements and additions including conveyor lifts that greatly simplify the process of moving stuff from down to up (and vice versa) and new Quartz and Sulfur research chains and milestones that enable new exploration and equipment options.

Epic Games earns a BAFTA Special Award for its 'huge contribution' to the industry https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-games-earns-a-bafta-special-award-for-its-huge-contribution-to-the-industry/BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, will honor Epic Games with a Special Award recognizing its growth from its founding in 1991 to "world-renowned industry leader and innovator." Epic is responsible for games including the Gears of War series and Fortnite, and also the massively popular Unreal Engine that's powered some of the biggest games of the past two decades.

Kill monsters and steal their powers in this shapeshifting Metroidvania https://www.pcgamer.com/kill-monsters-and-steal-their-powers-in-this-shapeshifting-metroidvania/Mable and the Wood's titular adventurer has been resurrected by a cult and tasked with murdering her way through a world infested by monsters in an attempt to save it. There's just one pretty significant problem: Mable can't even carry her big, magical sword. That's where the monsters can unwittingly lend a hand.

Castlevania Anniversary Collection hits Steam today https://www.pcgamer.com/castlevania-anniversary-collection-hits-steam-today/Konami's resurrection of classic Castlevania games is poised to hit Steam today, though there's still no page for it yet. The eight games are drawn from the earliest adventures, starting with the original Castlevania and going up to Bloodlines. Give your memory a refresh with the trailer.

Total War: Three Kingdoms' launch trailer is all about the power of friendship https://www.pcgamer.com/total-war-three-kingdoms-launch-trailer-is-all-about-the-power-of-friendship/Total War: Three Kingdoms might be a colossal strategy game about fighting over China and determining the fate of thousands of warriors, but it's also about making pals. You've gotta find yourself some heroic buddies to watch your back and people to support you. Watch the Lui Bei launch trailer and learn all about the power of friendship.

Currently Playing:

JEMC said:I'm not sure DDR5 is that close, to be honest, at least in the PC ecosystem (maybe for smartphones it is). Zen 2 and its mobos are DDR4, and none of the rumors regarding Intel's next refresh mention the jump to the new memory either.

DDR5 estimated release date is this year... With mass production sometime next year... So I expect AMD's Zen 3 to have DDR5 support, Zen 2 was still being designed whilst the standard was being ratified, so it was expected it would release without support.

Currently Playing:

I hope you're talking about Ancestors and not Dauntless, mostly because that last one is free to play and already surpassed the two million players last year.

Nah, it's just some crowd funded game that may have said it's releasing on Steam but now it doesn't. Kind of a dick move.

Oh, yeah I don't remember the name of the game but the article about it. Some of the backers are angry (how surprising!) because a Steam release was promised during the funding campaign and now want their money back, which I find it fair since the conditions have changed.

Please excuse my bad English.

Currently gaming on a PC with an i5-4670k@stock (for now), 16Gb RAM 1600 MHz and a GTX 1070

Steam / Live / NNID : jonxiquet Add me if you want, but I'm a single player gamer.

Warhammer games Steam sale begins to mark Skulls for the Skull Throne event https://www.pcgamer.com/warhammer-games-steam-sale-begins-to-mark-skulls-for-the-skull-throne-event/Games Workshop's Skulls for the Skull Throne event is back for a third year, bringing updates and discounts to the many, many, many Warhammer PC adaptations. Lots of different studios are taking part, as well as prolific Warhammer publisher Focus Home Interactive. Most of the new stuff is available now, while the sale will continue throughout the weekend and conclude on Monday at 6 pm BST. >>Check them out here. And remember that the resy of the Steam deals are at the end of the second news post.

Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition is free on the Humble Store https://www.pcgamer.com/guacamelee-super-turbo-championship-edition-is-free-on-the-humble-store/Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition is completely free over on the Humble Store, letting you smack people around, hunt giant chickens and dress up like a luchadore superhero without dipping into your bank account. (...)The Championship Edition includes all the DLC from the original game, more areas, new bosses and enemies, lots of combat tweaks and more. Possibly more chickens, too. They're good chickens. >> And don't forget to take a look at the Spring Sale, that has been updated with new publishers and games

Bethesda has officially removed Denuvo from the Steam version of RAGE 2 https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bethesda-has-officially-removed-denuvo-from-the-steam-version-of-rage-2/Man, what a roller coaster this has been. While testing the review code, we’ve discovered that Avalanche has implemented the Denuvo anti-tamper tech in RAGE 2 (even though Bethesda hadn’t listed Denuvo on the game’s Steam store page). This, obviously, frustrated a lot of PC gamers who felt cheated by the publisher. Not only that, but the Bethesda store version did not use this controversial anti-tamper tech, something that puzzled a lot of gamers. However, here we are today with Bethesda completely removing Denuvo from the Steam version too.

MODS/EMULATORS

Quake 2 Retexture Project will improve more than 200 textures, will feature fake Global Illumination effects https://www.dsogaming.com/news/quake-2-retexture-project-will-improve-more-than-200-textures-will-feature-fake-global-illumination-effects/Back in March 2019, we informed you about a new Texture Pack for Quake 2 called Quake 2 Retexture Project. And today, the modder has revealed some new details about his project and released some new screenshots. Quake 2 Retexture Project will feature more than 200 textures (that were created from scratch). These new textures aim to significantly improve the visuals of the game and they will have PBR (Physically Based Rendering) materials. Moreover, the shaders that have been used in this project support Albedo, Roughness, Specular, Parallax, Normal mapping, though there is currently no support for a “metallness” shader.

PS4 Marvel Spider-Man mod for Grand Theft Auto 5 is now available for free download https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ps4-marvel-spider-man-mod-for-grand-theft-auto-5-is-now-available-for-free-download/Back in March, we informed you about a Spiderman mod for Grand Theft Auto 5. And today, I’m happy to report that modder JulioNIB has finally released this mod to the public. Not only that, but this public release is not put behind a Patreon wall, meaning that everyone can go ahead and download it for free. This mod allows players to web swing with a variation in animations and ending animations, web zip to target, hang upside down from various objects, wall climb, web grab and attach targets and web grab and throw vehicles. It also features both melee and special melee attacks, and all of them are based on the PS4 Marvel’s Spider-Man game. >> Get this mod from his Patreon page.

Toki Remake is coming to the PC on June 6th https://www.dsogaming.com/news/toki-remake-is-coming-to-the-pc-on-june-6th/Microids has announced that the remake of Toki will be coming to the PC on June 6th. The PC release will feature a speedrun mode, new graphics filters and a Jukebox that will include 32 music tracks in total with 24 composed by Raphael Gesqua and 8 compositions from the original game.